The Time Traveller’s Cap: W.Bill Tweed, Doctor Who Legacy
At Gamble & Gunn, we’re always looking for fabrics with stories and this one might just be our most remarkable yet.
In the late 1980s, as Doctor Who entered a new chapter with Sylvester McCoy as the Seventh Doctor, a very special fabric was woven. Commissioned as part of a Doctor Who fabric range, this W.Bill tweed captured the eccentric, intellectual charm of the era. It features bold burgundy, black and cream checks, rich, distinctive, and undeniably British.
The cloth was stored away, untouched, for decades. Until now.
More than three decades after it was first woven, this remarkable cloth has been brought back to life, hand-cut and carefully crafted into a limited-edition run of our classic British-made button-top caps.
A Fabric Reawakened
More than three decades after it was first woven, this remarkable cloth has been brought back to life — hand-cut and carefully crafted into a limited-edition run of our classic British-made button-top caps.
We’ve named it the McCoy Time Traveller’s Cap, in honour of the Seventh Doctor, Sylvester McCoy a character known for his quiet intellect, playful unpredictability, and subtle depth. McCoy made one final on-screen appearance in 1996, gracefully passing the torch to the Eighth Doctor, Paul McGann. That regeneration moment links this cloth to a unique turning point in Doctor Who history, a fitting legacy for a cap that’s travelled through time to be worn today.
Back when this tweed was first woven, it was 1988 a bold and eclectic moment in pop culture. Doctor Who aired the fan-favourite “Remembrance of the Daleks,” while Tracy Chapman released Fast Car, U2 dropped Rattle and Hum, and N.W.A. shocked the airwaves with Straight Outta Compton. In cinemas, we watched Rain Man, Die Hard, and Beetlejuice. It was a year of contrast intellect and edge, rebellion and reflection ….
Now, 35 years later, this once-forgotten tweed has a second life — as a cap with character, heritage, and a quiet nod to a truly unforgettable era.
Worn Once, Remembered Forever
This isn’t just a cap it’s a piece of television textile history. The kind of item that belongs in the hands of collectors, long-time Whovians, and anyone who appreciates craftsmanship with a backstory.
We’ve only made a small number from the original bolt. Once they’re gone, they’re truly gone. No restocks. No regenerations.